1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation system and a mounting device for an external device for use in the operation system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, operation microscope systems have been developed which enable operators to use operation microscopes together with other medical instruments (external devices) such as operation devices. For example, there is an operation microscope system which enables an operator to use both an operation microscope and an endoscope so that the operator observes a blind-spot area unobservable with the operation microscope under observation with the operation microscope, and there is also an operation microscope system which enables an operator to use both an operation microscope and an operation device such as an electrical scalpel for performing treatment on a site of operation.
Throughout an operation, the vicinity of a site of operation is maintained as a clean area which is free of bacterial contamination. A power source or a control part of an operation device is in general disposed in an unclean area (wherein a certain degree of bacterial contamination is allowed), and is generally arranged at a position distant from the site of operation.
In general, it is difficult to sterilize or disinfect an operation microscope itself to be used during operation. For this reason, the operation microscope when in use is fitted with a sterilization drape which is a cover for covering its entire microscope body disposed in the unclean area, in order that the sterilization of the external surface of the microscope body located in the vicinity of a site of operation can be ensured. In the case where an operator is to insert an external device such as an endoscope or a therapeutic instrument into a site of operation and manipulate the external device to perform a medical act such as observation or treatment under observation with the operation microscope, the operator holds the external device by hand and guides the external device toward the site of operation under microscopic observation (under optical observation).
It is desirable that the external device be kept away from the site of operation or easily removed from the operation microscope when the operator temporarily stops using the external device or changes the position and the observing direction of the microscope body of the operation microscope according to the state of progress of an operation.
For example, an operation system which uses both an operation microscope and an electrically driven operation device is disclosed in JP-A-2000-210302. In this operation system, signal lines for supplying electrical power to the operation device are disposed in the inside of the operation microscope. The microscope body of the operation microscope is provided with an electrically connecting portion to which a connector part of the operation device can be electrically connected.
In this operation system, electrical power is supplied to the operation device when a connector part of an electric cord of the operation device to be used in a clean area (free of bacteria) near a site of operation is connected to the electrically connecting portion of the microscope body of the operation microscope disposed in an unclean area. Accordingly, in general, the connector part of the electric cord of the operation microscope need not be directly connected to the power source section of the operation microscope disposed in the unclean area distant from the site of operation, so that when the operator is to use the operation device, the operator alone can perform the process of connecting the connector part of the electric cord, and can easily perform the set-up process of the operation device.
An operation microscope system which uses both an operation microscope and auxiliary observing means (fiber scope) for observing a blind spot of the operation microscope is disclosed in JP-A-2001-208978. In this operation microscope system, there is shown a construction where a connector part of the auxiliary observing means for observing a blind spot of the operation microscope is optically connected to the microscope body of the operation microscope disposed in an unclean area, via a sterilizable adapter. Accordingly, the auxiliary observing means disposed in the clean area is constructed to be spatially separable from and optically connectable to the microscope body of the operation microscope disposed in the unclean area.
In this operation microscope system, a connector part of the fiber scope which is the auxiliary observing means used in the clean area near a site of operation and required to be retained in a sterilized state and the operation microscope disposed in the unclean area are connected to each other via the sterilizable adapter, whereby the auxiliary observing means and the operation microscope are prevented from coming into direct contact with each other. Accordingly, even if the auxiliary observing means is removed or mounted during operation, the state of sterilization of the auxiliary observing means can be ensured.